Bicycle propulsion



To all Awhom/ it 4kmayconcern:

movement; also,byconvertingcircular movel ment in to lineal sofsh'orten the distance cov- ,Y ered for the work done'as toincrease speed,-and

v also by placing machinery' .under d'ustlproof durabilityof the moving parts, and, further,

l UNITED," vv*STATES PATENT ottica- .-Q'QEORGE' n; ADAMs'omor LOUISVILLE', KENTUCKY. 'A

'l 4` ,Blcvc'llla PRoP'uLslvoN.

srncrricArIoN refining pm of Letters rafent ne. 604,891, dated May e1,l 189s.

Be it known-than GEORGELD. ApAMsma citizen 'of Great Britain,I residing inv thecity of Louisville, `Jefferson county, in the State of 5 Kentucky, have invented anew and useful f mechanical movement, wherebyjpowergesv pecially foot-power, ismoreadvantageously `used than aty present, of which the following is a specification,`

Myinvention relates to the improvement of 'propulsion inv bicycles, tricycles, and other light vehicles which are vdriven by foot-power andthe .object'of my invention is to lessen thewaste ofenergy byobviating the deadpoint which vis rusually present in circular cover so reducel frictionas to increase Athe V by 'a peculiar combination and application of Y. levers'so inereasethepower 'applied es .t0 give greaterl speed than isfnow 'attained'. I attain these objects bythe mechanismillustrated in vFigure 1 is an elevation of ,theenltire movemen-t as lit would appear ifgapplied to a bicycle. Fig. 2 is aplan "view in section at X X'. Fig.I

Bis a part `elevation viewiin sectionat X X. Similar letters refer tosimilar parts through? H'h,securely fastened together bypns fr M `4formsthe axle upon andv 'within which thel I 35` by'jam-nuts'i i to frameff, which is heldin movement is carried, and ity being clenched position thereon by studs"or 50,l becomes afixed part-of the saidzfmme'- I n .yA @are levers, 4which are attached. to: B b imrmovably` y ilutedlhole, yasshown, tongue vY'kfscrewlr-andnutstt. f Bbnre"crank-shaftsiwithin "the axle H h an'dcommunicatving throughy it with 'levers y f Aa, tofwhichtheyaremade fast, as aforesaid.

-. 4'5'; i C'v is lai double-'crank shafty moving: freely' crankesh -QY 1 Appiamot ma January ze. 1897. stanno.ezmlmxntmoael.)

the circumference of cams G g areteeth p p,

which pass through chain or cord in order that said cams may move with the chain, vand havf ing passed throughv chain they are secured," from returningv by pins, as shown, in order that the chain may not ride. v 4 D isa spur gear-wheelkeyed to double- :crank shaft C outside'axle H` h;

and teeth broad enough to stand the' strainA lofdriving. y

F, is a hub `hav'ingone flange c, to which is fixed mortise gear-wheel E detachable. Hub F c' covers the entire'movement rvand runs loosely on bearing eje, the balls of which ru'n on axlefI-I h.

ft is aA milled 'nut screwed-onto crank-shaft' B, drawing after it lever- A, which slips. on grooves', as shown, and iscaught bylk.` By this nut adjustment of crank-shaft Bis made,

. 7s as wellI as the rigidity of leve'r-A assured, for

when-t is inplace, with tongue Ic of lever A in roove on its circumference, as shown, screw *isl screwed home. Then lever A becomes a lock fornut t and nut t becomes a keeper -for leverA. 1 f vIt will now be seen that if power b'e applied at pedal g `to 'lever A, with 'its fulcrum on a t B, tofwhich Ait 'is "fixed, crankshaft B will` move, and the fulcrum of crankshaft B being in the center of axle H hfit will impart movement to chain. at n, which lchain will carry lwith it cam G and ltransmit v its movement to double-crank shaft 0 vby bearingm.- When double-crank shaft C moves, spur gear-wheel` D, being keyed to itmoves A'and in moving moves-morti'se gear-wheelE,

with'fwhich it is in mesh, and as mortisewheel4 Ey is made fast kto flange-'wheel c of hubF hubFmoves with it.` Therefore move.-`

uent of either lever A q-or lever a q will produce movementi'of hub F, forfthey together form a pair of levers of similar movement.

It will be seen in Fig.- l'that cam G'being not latthefbottom'of stroke cam g has reached thetop of stroke. To bring 'cam Gto nish Af stroke, lever A q will vgo tos. In. so doing' roo lever ct q will be brought on its stroke to s.

As this will be repeated every half-stroke,

there is no dead-point in this movement.

Having thus set forth and explained my invention, I claim as new and desire Letters Patent for- 1. A mechanical movement comprising two shafts, levers fulcrumed on said shafts, a double-crank shaft mounted in proximity to `said first-named shafts, a spur gear-wheel on said double-crank shaft, cam-wheels mounted at a point above said crank-shaft, chains conabove said crank-shaft, chains connected to the double-crank shaft and passing over theA cam-wheels and attached 'to the levers, and the hollow axle having said first-named shafts mounted centrally,substantially as described.

3. The combination in a bicycle of shafts, levers fulcrumed on said shafts, a doublecrank shaft mounted in proximity to said first-named shafts, a spur gear-wheel on said double-crank shaft, cam-wheels mounted at a point above said crank-shaft, chains connected to the double-crank shaft and passing over the cam-wheels and attached to the 1evers, the driving-hub and a gear-wheel suitably fastened to the inside of said drivinghub of bicycle, substantially as described.

4. The combination of crank-shaft, camwheel provided with keeper-tooth mounted in proximity to said crank-shaft, chain at,- tached to said crank and passing over said cam-wheel engaging said keeper-tooth and oscillating lever to which the end of said chain is attached, substantially as described.

5.' The combination of the nut t having a groove in its periphery, with a lever carrying a tongue k and screw Z engaging said groove and nut, respectively, a shaft taking into said lever, the end of said shaft being threaded and longitudinally grooved, and the aperture in the leverbein g provided with longitudinal ribs corresponding to the grooves on the shaft, substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

6. A bicycle-hub comprising shell F, flange c suitably attached to said shell, spur gearwheel securely fastened to inside said fiange, and bearings e,e, substantially as described.

GEORGE D. ADAMSON.

Witnesses:

EMME'r'r LEIGH WILSON, R. HUGH RUsK. 

